


Night Terror

by icandrawamoth



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: X-Wing Series - Aaron Allston & Michael Stackpole
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Night Terrors, Nightmares, Reading Aloud, badthingshappenbingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2019-06-06 03:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15185387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: “Tycho,” Wedge says gently, holding up his hands as he approaches slowly, like he's trying not to startle a frightened animal. “It's all right. You're safe. Wake up.”





	Night Terror

**Author's Note:**

> A missing scene from my upcoming wipbigbang fic, but totally reads on its own. Takes place shortly after Tycho is released from his post-Lusankya debriefing with NRI. Also for badthingshappenbingo prompt "nightmares."

Just being able to sleep with Tycho in his arms again brings such a feeling of relief and comfort, when Wedge comes awake in the night, it takes him several moments to realize something is wrong. Tycho is moving in his grip, shifting uneasily on the bed, low sounds spilling from his mouth, soft whimpers and wordless, distressed mutters Wedge can't understand.

A nightmare, then. It's certainly not the first he's had since Wedge got him back, and though Tycho hasn't told him the full details of what he went through in Isard's prison, Force knows he must have enough fuel for them.

Wedge murmurs his name and shakes him gently, trying to rouse him from the dream. “Love, wake up now,” he tries, a little louder, when that doesn't work.

Then suddenly Tycho lets out a piercing scream and has torn himself from Wedge's arms and bolted across the room before Wedge can do anything but stare. As soon he gets his wits about him, he scrambles after.

Tycho has backed himself into a corner of the room, shivering and staring around him, panting harshly. His eyes are open, pupils blown wide, but Wedge isn't sure he's actually awake.

“Tycho,” he says gently, holding up his hands as he approaches slowly, like he's trying not to startle a frightened animal. “It's all right. You're safe. Wake up.”

Tycho is staring at him, still apparently unseeing, but he doesn't move as Wedge comes to a stop in front of him, reaches up to gently frame his face in his palms. “Come back to me, Tycho.”

Tycho shudders suddenly, blinking several times in quick succession, gaze finally focusing. “Wedge.” His voice is rough, choked.

“Hey,” Wedge says softly. He takes a step closer, guides Tycho into his arms. Tycho is trembling violently, and Wedge just holds him, murmuring soothing nonsense and stroking his back until, at long last, he speaks.

“I don't know what that was,” Tycho whispers. “Some kind of night terror.” He shudders. “I didn't even see anything, really. It was just...pain. And fear.” His voice shakes. “I was so afraid.”

“You're safe now,” Wedge promises fiercely. “I've got you.”

“Yeah.” Tycho lets out a whoosh of breath, trying to steady himself.

Wedge eases back a little, takes his hand. “Should we go back to bed?”

Tycho jerks his head side to side. “No.”

“Tycho-”

“ _No_.” Tycho tugs his hand away, runs it through his already-mussed hair, clearly still distressed. But his voice is calmer when he adds, “I don't think I could go back to sleep if I wanted to.” He moves past Wedge, heading for the living room.

Wedge follows, finds him sitting on the couch and joins him without hesitation, slipping an arm around him. “Do you need anything? A glass of water?”

Tycho shakes his head. “You can go back to sleep, Wedge. Just give me a book or something, and I'll be fine until morning.”

Wedge reaches for Tycho's datapad left sitting on the side table when they went to bed. “How about you let me read to you then?”

“Wedge...”

Wedge thumbs the device on and tabs over to the reading application. “Show me where you left off.”

After a moment, Tycho points wordlessly. Then he adjusts himself beside him, leaning his head on Wedge's shoulder. His eyes are still wide open, though, and Wedge believes him when he says he won't fall back to sleep.

Wedge starts reading. It's a simple, light-hearted fairytale, one of the things he'd picked out for Tycho to pass the time while he was still in NRI custody that he had never finished once he was released. It doesn't take long for them to get to the end, then they move on to the next story in the series.

They've nearly completed the collection by the time the sun comes up. Tycho only interrupts once to murmur a soft thank you. Wedge just keeps on reading.


End file.
